Improvement in water-proof fabric



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THOMAS .BRACHEIL 0F RAHWAY, NEW JERSEY.

Letters Patent No. 100,591, dated March 8, 1870; antedated February 26, 187-0;

INIPROYEMENT IN WATER-PROOF FABRIC.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, THOMAS Bretonne, of Railway, in the couutyvof Union,and State of New Jersey, have invent-ed a new and improved Tater-Proof Fabric for the manufacture of hats and other coverings for the head, for ladies wearing-apparel, and for other uses where a light, elastic, water-proof fabric is desired; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the construction of the same., reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a piece of fabric woven of coton and wire threads, the latter indicated by the red mes.

Figure 2 represents a piece of fabric woven of cotton andwire threads, the latter being inserted only 'one way of the cloth, which may be in either the warp or weft 'of the same.

My invention consists in coating or treating the wire threads with resinous or-elast-ic gums, in solution, before they are woven, the gum being colored to the desired hue, and subjecting the fabric, after the wire threads have been inserted, to heat, by passing it between heated rollers, to cause the cotton threads to adhere to the wire by the coating of gum, and thuS form-a firm, elastic cloth. The gums used being insoluble in water, the fabric is rendered proof against atmospheric influences.

To enable others skilled in the art to make my improved fabric, I will describe the processused by me.

I form the warp of cotton, linen, or other threads, and wire, the latter being placed at such distances apart as may be required to obtain the desired elasticity of the fabric; but when I wish to obtain still greater elasticity than the wire in the warp alone will give, I insert the wire in the weft also, at such distances apart as may be required. The wire used is tempered when being drawn, and both it and the iibrous thread are woven together in a loom inthe usual manner.

To prevent the wire from being alected by water or the atmosphere, I subject it, in the first place, to a coating of resinous or elastic gums, in solution, by (hawing' it through a bath prepared of the same. "1he gums which I use are chiefly gutta-percha, India rubber, or shellac, in about the proportions of two (2) pounds of shell'ac to one (1) gallon of spirits, and of two pounds of gutta-percha to one anda half gallon of spirits'.

The gum usedis first cut by the naphtha, ether, or

.other spirit-s, and when dissolved, the solution is made about the consistency of iiowing varnish, so that the wirein passing through will retaina suficientquantity to properly coat it. The wire is then allowed to dry` I also color the coating for the wire to harmonize with the color of the fabric. v

.The fabric when woven is taken from the loom and subjected to pressure between heated rollers, to melt the gum sullciently to cause the fibers ofthe threads to adhere to the wires, and thus a rm, light, elastic, and water-proof fabric is produced, capable of being cleaned by washing without injury.

Having thus fully described my invention, I do not claim, broadly, a fabric woven with wire in the warp or weft, or in both, as such a fabric, in itself, is not new.

I claim the fabric herein described as a new article of manufacture, it being madeof spring wire and fibrous material, either in warp or weft, the wire before being woven being coated with resinous or elastic gums, colored to correspond wit-l1 the color of the fibrous yarns, and the fabric when woven heilig subjected to the ac'- tion of heated pressure-rollers, to cause the fibrous threads t-o adhere to the wire, and thus form a iight,

elastic water-proof cloth.

THOS. BRACHER.

Witnesses:

C. A. DURGIN, EDWARD E. OsBoRu. 

